The Macallan has unveiled the Romantica Collection, an exceptionally rare single cask release and 1986 vintage created to commemorate The Macallan 1926’s centenary. It is now available for VIPs in The Macallan standalone boutiques in global travel retail, exclusively as a set of three artist editions.
The collection traces its origins to a defining moment in The Macallan’s history. In 1926, brand custodian Janet ‘Nettie’ Harbinson laid down the cask that would eventually become the Macallan 1926. Bottled 60 years later by her great-nephew Allan Shiach at the culmination of its maturation journey, the cask yielded just 40 bottles.
In 1986, a single sherry-seasoned European oak cask, numbered 9925, was filled and laid down on The Macallan Estate. Four decades later, the whisky has now been released as the limited-edition The Romantica Collection.
In a notable creative reunion, the three artists associated with The Macallan 1926 – Sir Peter Blake, Valerio Adami and Michael Dillon – have each produced original works exclusively for the Romantica collection.
The artists were invited to reflect on the journey undertaken by cask no. 9925 between 1986 and 2026, interpreting themes of Time Travel, Nature and Community through their distinctive artistic styles.
Sir Peter Blake’s contribution, The Music Room, imagines Easter Elchies House in 1986. He depicts guests gathered to celebrate the opening of The Macallan Octagon Room, a symbol of community at the heart of the brand.
Valerio Adami’s Romantica (1986) portrays Janet ‘Nettie’ Harbinson in a striking red dress against a Scottish landscape.
Michael Dillon’s The Macallan Estate captures the Speyside landscape and the distillery’s distinctive architecture, highlighting the relationship between the brand and its natural surroundings.
Each bottle label is personally signed by the artist, underscoring the collection’s individuality and rarity. Only 258 bottles have been released, comprising 86 for each artist edition.
The name Romantica was chosen to reflect the collection’s spirit, drawing inspiration from the romantic artistic movement that celebrated emotion, introspection and a deep connection to nature.
Bottled at 48.6% ABV, the single malt displays a bright and vibrant character shaped by four decades of maturation in a single European oak cask.
The whisky opens with aromas of apricot conserve, canned peaches and bittersweet toffee, complemented by notes of crystallised ginger, cinnamon, antique oak and delicate woodsmoke. On the palate, brown sugar, glazed peach and lychee are joined by dark cherries, treacle and a subtle peat influence, leading to a long finish marked by dried fruits, leather and rich cacao.
Presented in its natural colour, the whisky showcases The Macallan’s expertise in sherry-seasoned oak maturation and its long-standing commitment to craftsmanship, provenance and patience.
Each bottle is housed in a bespoke presentation box crafted from European oak and decorated with the corresponding artwork. The release includes a numbered certificate signed by Master Whisky Maker Kirsteen Campbell, a collection booklet and a limited-edition giclée print unique to each artist edition.
The Macallan Creative Director Jaume Ferras commented, “The Romantica Collection represents a rare convergence of time, creativity and craftsmanship.
“By revisiting the legacy of The Macallan 1926 through the eyes of Sir Peter Blake, Valerio Adami and Michael Dillon, we are not simply honouring an iconic whisky but celebrating the enduring power of artistic expression and the role it plays in shaping the heritage of the brand.
“Their artworks bring fresh meaning to a whisky shaped quietly over decades, reinterpreting The Macallan 1926 for a new moment in time.”
The Macallan Master Whisky Maker Kirsteen Campbell commented: “From the moment this cask was laid down in 1986, it became part of a legacy – a story that began with The Macallan 1926 and continues today. Over decades of slumber, the whisky has evolved with extraordinary grace, developing a luminous character of fruits, spice and rich oak.
“To see this expression now paired with new artworks from Sir Peter Blake, Valerio Adami and Michael Dillon is deeply moving. Their interpretations mirror the whisky’s own journey: layered, imaginative and shaped by time.
“It is a privilege to present a single-cask release that connects so profoundly with our heritage.”
Introduction: In an exclusive interview with The Moodie Davitt Report, Edrington Regional Managing Director Global Travel Retail & Western Europe Kasper Andersen and The Macallan Lead Whisky Maker Euan Kennedy discuss the inspiration behind the Romantica Collection, exploring how themes of time, artistry, nature and community are brought to life through one of the distillery’s rarest releases. They also explain how the collection supports The Macallan’s ongoing premiumisation and elevation strategy in global travel retail.
The Moodie Davitt Report: The Romantica Collection draws heavily on themes of time, nature and community. How do those same themes influence your approach to whisky making?
Euan Kennedy: The themes of time, nature and community are deeply relevant to whisky making at The Macallan. Time is fundamental – it shapes the spirit gradually and allows its character to emerge with patience. Nature is present at every stage; from the exceptional oak casks we work with to the environment in which the whisky matures.
And community matters because whisky is never created in isolation; it reflects the care, craft and shared expertise of many people over generations. For me, those ideas are not separate from whisky making – they are central to it.
The Romantica Collection is intrinsically linked to the story of The Macallan 1926. How do you honour this legacy while ensuring each new release has its own identity?
Euan Kennedy: The Macallan 1926 represents an extraordinary part of our brand’s history, and we honour that legacy by staying true to the same values that shaped it: quality, precision and long-term thinking.
At the same time, each release must stand on its own merits. It is not about recreating the past but about carrying that spirit forward in a way that feels relevant and distinctive today. The Romantica Collection reflects that balance – rooted in heritage, yet confident in its own identity.
How does exclusivity shape The Macallan’s travel retail strategy today?
Kasper Andersen: Exclusivity shapes The Macallan’s travel retail strategy by positioning the channel as a premier destination for rare, one-of-a-kind and bespoke products. For us this means being selective about where and how these launches appear in global travel retail, ensuring they are placed in the right retail environments, supported by meaningful consumer engagement and delivered with the sense of occasion expected from a luxury purchase.
The Macallan recognises that it must give travel retail consumers the engagement and experience they’re looking for. Some of the recent innovations, such as Distil Your World and Harmony Collection Guardian Oak, have performed extremely well and created fantastic visibility in the channel.
Our goal is to elevate the single malt category through a carefully curated shopper experience, such as that offered at The Macallan Boutiques. We’ve pioneered this mono-brand standalone format in the single malt category and it is something we believe will continue to strengthen The Macallan’s credentials as a leader in luxury spirits.
To what extent does travel retail act as a platform for storytelling rather than simply a point-of-sale for ultra-premium whisky?
Kasper Andersen: Travel retail is a vital storytelling and brand-building environment. The channel is a primary touchpoint for shaping brand equity, allowing us to elevate our ultra-premium whiskies through immersive, multisensory storytelling and channel-exclusive (TREX) collections.
How have traveller expectations around luxury spirits evolved over the past five years?
Kasper Andersen: Travel retail consumers purchasing luxury spirits now demand highly planned, experience-led and hyper-exclusive purchases. As such, global travel retail has evolved from a transactional channel to an experience-led environment, with storytelling, exclusivity and exploration increasingly driving engagement and conversion.
Consumers are becoming more selective about when and where they trade up, looking for clear value and justification when they make purchasing decisions.
What we’re seeing, particularly among younger adult consumers, is a natural curiosity and desire to explore. That curiosity drives much of the purchasing behaviour in travel retail, making it a natural channel to showcase products that reward exploration through rich storytelling. To capture these consumers, brands need to meet them where they are, both digitally and physically.
How important are experiential elements, such as art, craftsmanship and heritage storytelling, in driving engagement with high-value whisky purchases?
Kasper Andersen: Experiential elements are crucial for high-value whisky purchases because the type of consumer purchasing these products demands immersive, personal experiences. Heritage storytelling and craftsmanship help consumers understand the care behind each release, while the link with art gives The Macallan another way to tell its story and express the creativity involved in whisky making.
We see real impact from immersive activations such as last year’s The Macallan pop-up at Shanghai Pudong Airport. This brought to life The Macallan’s unique sherry-seasoning story through multiple touchpoints, including a sherry journey experiential wall featuring artwork by David Carson, 3D sensorial elements and an eye-catching The Macallan universe sculpture representing the brand’s Six Pillars.
What does true rarity mean to The Macallan today? Is it simply about age and scarcity, or something more?
Euan Kennedy: Rarity is about far more than age or limited volume. Those elements may contribute, but for The Macallan, rarity is ultimately defined by character, provenance and the singular nature of the whisky itself. The sense of rarity comes from time, careful stewardship and the convergence of many decisions across decades. ✈
